In Box Review of Monogram 1/48th Scale Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress
Kit no. 5600
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $30.35 to $31.50 several places in the U.S.
My kit has a copyright date of 1975.
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $30.35 to $31.50 several places in the U.S.
My kit has a copyright date of 1975.
HISTORY:
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry (prototype Model 299/XB-17) outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps' performance specifications.
Although Boeing lost the contract (to the Douglas B-18 Bolo) because the prototype crashed, the air corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances, becoming the third-most produced bomber of all time, behind the B-24 and the multirole Ju 88.
The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets.
The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in central and southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy,
complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in the Combined Bomber Offensive to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for the invasion of France in 1944.
The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific, early in World War II, where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields.
From its prewar inception, the USAAC (by June 1941, the USAAF) promoted the aircraft as a strategic weapon; it was a relatively fast, high-flying, long-range bomber with heavy defensive armament at the expense of bombload. It developed a reputation for toughness based upon stories and photos of badly damaged B-17s safely returning to base.
The B-17 developed a reputation as an effective bomber, dropping more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft in World War II. Of the 1.5 million tonnes of bombs dropped on Nazi Germany and its occupied territories by U.S. aircraft, 640,000 tonnes were dropped from B-17s. In addition to its role as a bomber, the B-17 was also employed as a transport, antisubmarine aircraft, drone controller, and search-and-rescue aircraft.
As of May 2015, ten aircraft remain airworthy. None of those ten were ever flown in combat. Dozens more are in storage or on static display. The oldest of these is a D-series flown in combat in the Pacific and the Caribbean.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 10: Pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier/nose gunner, flight engineer/top turret gunner, radio operator, waist gunners (2), ball turret gunner, tail gunner[204]
Length: 74 ft 4 in (22.66 m)
Wingspan: 103 ft 9 in (31.62 m)
Height: 19 ft 1 in (5.82 m)
Wing area: 1,420 sq ft (131.92 m2)
Airfoil: NACA 0018 / NACA 0010
Aspect ratio: 7.57
Empty weight: 36,135 lb (16,391 kg)
Loaded weight: 54,000 lb (24,500 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 65,500 lb (29,700 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Wright R-1820-97 "Cyclone" turbosupercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp (895 kW) each
Maximum speed: 287 mph (249 kn, 462 km/h)
Cruise speed: 182 mph (158 kn, 293 km/h)
Range: 2,000 mi (1,738 nmi, 3,219 km) with 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) bombload
Service ceiling: 35,600 ft (10,850 m)
Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s)
Wing loading: 38.0 lb/sq ft (185.7 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.089 hp/lb (150 W/kg)
Armament: Guns: 13 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in 8 positions (2 in the Bendix chin turret, 2 on nose cheeks, 2 staggered waist guns, 2 in upper Sperry turret, 2 in Sperry ball turret in belly, 2 in the tail and one firing upwards from radio compartment behind bomb bay)
Bombs: Short range missions (<400 mi): 8,000 lb (3,600 kg)
Long range missions (≈800 mi): 4,500 lb (2,000 kg)
Overload: 17,600 lb (7,800 kg)
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry (prototype Model 299/XB-17) outperformed both competitors and exceeded the air corps' performance specifications.
Although Boeing lost the contract (to the Douglas B-18 Bolo) because the prototype crashed, the air corps ordered 13 more B-17s for further evaluation. From its introduction in 1938, the B-17 Flying Fortress evolved through numerous design advances, becoming the third-most produced bomber of all time, behind the B-24 and the multirole Ju 88.
The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets.
The United States Eighth Air Force, based at many airfields in central and southern England, and the Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy,
complemented the RAF Bomber Command's nighttime area bombing in the Combined Bomber Offensive to help secure air superiority over the cities, factories and battlefields of Western Europe in preparation for the invasion of France in 1944.
The B-17 also participated to a lesser extent in the War in the Pacific, early in World War II, where it conducted raids against Japanese shipping and airfields.
From its prewar inception, the USAAC (by June 1941, the USAAF) promoted the aircraft as a strategic weapon; it was a relatively fast, high-flying, long-range bomber with heavy defensive armament at the expense of bombload. It developed a reputation for toughness based upon stories and photos of badly damaged B-17s safely returning to base.
The B-17 developed a reputation as an effective bomber, dropping more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft in World War II. Of the 1.5 million tonnes of bombs dropped on Nazi Germany and its occupied territories by U.S. aircraft, 640,000 tonnes were dropped from B-17s. In addition to its role as a bomber, the B-17 was also employed as a transport, antisubmarine aircraft, drone controller, and search-and-rescue aircraft.
As of May 2015, ten aircraft remain airworthy. None of those ten were ever flown in combat. Dozens more are in storage or on static display. The oldest of these is a D-series flown in combat in the Pacific and the Caribbean.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: 10: Pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier/nose gunner, flight engineer/top turret gunner, radio operator, waist gunners (2), ball turret gunner, tail gunner[204]
Length: 74 ft 4 in (22.66 m)
Wingspan: 103 ft 9 in (31.62 m)
Height: 19 ft 1 in (5.82 m)
Wing area: 1,420 sq ft (131.92 m2)
Airfoil: NACA 0018 / NACA 0010
Aspect ratio: 7.57
Empty weight: 36,135 lb (16,391 kg)
Loaded weight: 54,000 lb (24,500 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 65,500 lb (29,700 kg)
Powerplant: 4 × Wright R-1820-97 "Cyclone" turbosupercharged radial engines, 1,200 hp (895 kW) each
Maximum speed: 287 mph (249 kn, 462 km/h)
Cruise speed: 182 mph (158 kn, 293 km/h)
Range: 2,000 mi (1,738 nmi, 3,219 km) with 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) bombload
Service ceiling: 35,600 ft (10,850 m)
Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (4.6 m/s)
Wing loading: 38.0 lb/sq ft (185.7 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.089 hp/lb (150 W/kg)
Armament: Guns: 13 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in 8 positions (2 in the Bendix chin turret, 2 on nose cheeks, 2 staggered waist guns, 2 in upper Sperry turret, 2 in Sperry ball turret in belly, 2 in the tail and one firing upwards from radio compartment behind bomb bay)
Bombs: Short range missions (<400 mi): 8,000 lb (3,600 kg)
Long range missions (≈800 mi): 4,500 lb (2,000 kg)
Overload: 17,600 lb (7,800 kg)
THE KIT:
Monogram is a prolific model company that makes all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. At the time that this kit was issued they were in Morton Grove, IL.
The kit came in a large shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows two B-17G's flying over the countryside through a cloud of thick smoke.
Both aircraft are bare metal with olive-drab anti-glare panels and inner surfaces of the engine cowlings. They have wide diagonal blue stripes across the rudder.
On the one in the foreground there is a black triangle high on the rudder with a white letter U on it, above the serial no. 232101 with a black letter F outlined in white below that. It has black wing and rudder leading edges and 8 black bombing mission marks on the nose.
The B-17G in the background is marked the same.
One side panel begins with a one-paragraph history of the aircraft, followed by a color profile of the aircraft in the box art scheme.
Monogram is a prolific model company that makes all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. At the time that this kit was issued they were in Morton Grove, IL.
The kit came in a large shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows two B-17G's flying over the countryside through a cloud of thick smoke.
Both aircraft are bare metal with olive-drab anti-glare panels and inner surfaces of the engine cowlings. They have wide diagonal blue stripes across the rudder.
On the one in the foreground there is a black triangle high on the rudder with a white letter U on it, above the serial no. 232101 with a black letter F outlined in white below that. It has black wing and rudder leading edges and 8 black bombing mission marks on the nose.
The B-17G in the background is marked the same.
One side panel begins with a one-paragraph history of the aircraft, followed by a color profile of the aircraft in the box art scheme.
It says here that the kit makes up to be 19 3/16" long and has a 25 15/16" wingspan. The kit includes 5 flight crew and ground crew figures, parts for a detailed bomb cart complete with bombs and a 4-page, full color folder telling how to build a diorama by Shephard Paine.
The other side panel has 7 color walk-around type photos of the model made up showing interior and exterior details.
The other side panel has 7 color walk-around type photos of the model made up showing interior and exterior details.
The end of the box says the kit is for modelers 13 through adult.
The parts trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do have part number tabs next to the parts on them however.
The parts trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do have part number tabs next to the parts on them however.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds 3 large silver-gray parts trees, a black tree, the decals, instructions and the folder about how to do a diorama by Shep Paine.
The instructions consist of a staple bound booklet of 12 pages in 9" x 11" page format.
Page 1 has a black and white photo of the model made up in the box art scheme with 5 crew figures standing in front of it.
The left side of page 2 has READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions.
From the right side of page 2 through page 9 there are 23 assembly steps.
Page 10 has a 4-view of the box art scheme (already described above.
It's nickname is "El Lobo II". It served with the 457th Bomb Group's 748th Squadron no, 130 in Glatton, England. Lt. Kelly took her over Bernberg, an aircraft assembly plant, on 2nd November, 1944. Ball turret gunner Staff Sergeant Bernard F. Silek was kept busy that day by several of those massed Lufwaffe "wolfpack" attacks, as was every other 457th gunner on this the group's worst mission.
The original "El Lobo" was piloted by Lt. Cornelius Woolf & crew after their arrival overseas on 21 January, 1944 - just in time to take part in the 8th Air Force's "Big Week" offensive against German industry one month later.
Both aircraft helped the 457th live up to its reputation as "The Fireball Outfit". No 42-32101 was a Boeing B-17G 35-BO, and carried the blue prop bosses denoting the 748th Squadron.
Page 11 has a 4-view of a B-17G nicknamed "Chow Hound". It is bare metal with a red vertical band on the rudder with a white triangle with a white letter A on it over a yellow serial no. 231367. A yellow fuselage code of RL G is on it's sides. It has red elevator leading edges and green wing tips.
This aircraft flew out of Bassingbourn, England assigned to the 322nd Squadron of the 91st Bomb Group with Lt. Jerry Newquist at the controls. Newquist named her "Chow Hound" and had painted on the nose the famous Walt Disney cartoon character "Pluto". Crew chief Julian Murdock kept "Chow Hound" airborne for over 30 missions, and she was not turned back once due to mechanical failure.
"Buck-wheat's" Baily kept them from getting lost on those missions through his dead reconing navigation, thus earning him the nickname "The D.R. Devil". Lt. Jack Thompson and crew took over "Chow Hound" after Newquist's crew had completed their tour of duty with the 8th Air Force and returned home.
Luck ran out for Thompson's crew when over Caen, France. "Chow Hound" was shot down on August 8th, 1944 - four out of Thompson's nine man crew were killed. Information for this B-17G BO was supplied by Jerry Newquist (now a 727 captain for United Air Lines) and by "Buckwheat's" Bailey (now a cattle rancher).
The large 1st silver-gray tree holds: a upper and lower wing half, bomb halves, wheel well interior floor, bulk heads, DF football antenna, upper elevator halves etc. (12 parts)
The kit holds 3 large silver-gray parts trees, a black tree, the decals, instructions and the folder about how to do a diorama by Shep Paine.
The instructions consist of a staple bound booklet of 12 pages in 9" x 11" page format.
Page 1 has a black and white photo of the model made up in the box art scheme with 5 crew figures standing in front of it.
The left side of page 2 has READ THIS BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions.
From the right side of page 2 through page 9 there are 23 assembly steps.
Page 10 has a 4-view of the box art scheme (already described above.
It's nickname is "El Lobo II". It served with the 457th Bomb Group's 748th Squadron no, 130 in Glatton, England. Lt. Kelly took her over Bernberg, an aircraft assembly plant, on 2nd November, 1944. Ball turret gunner Staff Sergeant Bernard F. Silek was kept busy that day by several of those massed Lufwaffe "wolfpack" attacks, as was every other 457th gunner on this the group's worst mission.
The original "El Lobo" was piloted by Lt. Cornelius Woolf & crew after their arrival overseas on 21 January, 1944 - just in time to take part in the 8th Air Force's "Big Week" offensive against German industry one month later.
Both aircraft helped the 457th live up to its reputation as "The Fireball Outfit". No 42-32101 was a Boeing B-17G 35-BO, and carried the blue prop bosses denoting the 748th Squadron.
Page 11 has a 4-view of a B-17G nicknamed "Chow Hound". It is bare metal with a red vertical band on the rudder with a white triangle with a white letter A on it over a yellow serial no. 231367. A yellow fuselage code of RL G is on it's sides. It has red elevator leading edges and green wing tips.
This aircraft flew out of Bassingbourn, England assigned to the 322nd Squadron of the 91st Bomb Group with Lt. Jerry Newquist at the controls. Newquist named her "Chow Hound" and had painted on the nose the famous Walt Disney cartoon character "Pluto". Crew chief Julian Murdock kept "Chow Hound" airborne for over 30 missions, and she was not turned back once due to mechanical failure.
"Buck-wheat's" Baily kept them from getting lost on those missions through his dead reconing navigation, thus earning him the nickname "The D.R. Devil". Lt. Jack Thompson and crew took over "Chow Hound" after Newquist's crew had completed their tour of duty with the 8th Air Force and returned home.
Luck ran out for Thompson's crew when over Caen, France. "Chow Hound" was shot down on August 8th, 1944 - four out of Thompson's nine man crew were killed. Information for this B-17G BO was supplied by Jerry Newquist (now a 727 captain for United Air Lines) and by "Buckwheat's" Bailey (now a cattle rancher).
The large 1st silver-gray tree holds: a upper and lower wing half, bomb halves, wheel well interior floor, bulk heads, DF football antenna, upper elevator halves etc. (12 parts)
The second large silver-gray tree holds: the other upper and lower wing halves, another bulkhead, gear struts, more bomb halves(15 parts)
The third large silver-gray tree holds: fuselage halves, floor sections, turret tub, figures, cowlings and engines etc. (31 parts)
The large black parts tree holds: wheels, machine guns, dashboard, cockpit floor and side consoles, seats, propellers and their shafts, foot pedals, steering yokes etc. (53 parts)
The clear parts tree include the wind screen, turret tops, nose glass and ball turret as well as many other parts.
The decal sheet and the instructions and the diorama instructions complete the kit's contents.
This is a neat highly detailed kit of the B-17G with great raised panel lines.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
I purchased my kit at my local hobby shop back in the 70's.